


The Pefkakian Candidate

by Ceares



Category: Twinkie Squad - Gordon Korman
Genre: A/U, M/M, Politics, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-24
Updated: 2011-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-28 01:23:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/302180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceares/pseuds/Ceares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hope you enjoy this treat</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Pefkakian Candidate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [frogy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frogy/gifts).



> Hope you enjoy this treat

“I still don’t get why you can’t just work for my dad again, like you did last summer.”

Commando winced as Doug slammed his locker shut. “Your dad is great, but I need all the experience I can get for my scholarship applications.” Plus he’d spent last summer pretending like he didn’t see the dirty looks or nasty comments from half the Ambassador’s staff for various reasons including his size, his race and his friendship with Doug. It didn’t matter if he had to deal with the same thing this year because no one could say he hadn’t gotten the job on his own. He hadn’t even told the Ambassador he’d applied for the Page program and he’d gotten references from his Poly Sci teacher instead of anybody on the Ambassador’s staff.

“Fine! Whatever! Spend the whole stupid summer on the Hill!”

He frowned. Doug had his books clutched to his chest in a way that reminded Commando of that stupid fake history yellow binder, which meant Doug was really upset. He ignored Commando during Math and English, which were the only two classes they had left together and there was a note in his locker saying Doug’s mom was picking him up so he didn’t need a ride. Commando slammed his own locker door at that point. wondering once again why he was so nuts about a guy that drove him nuts.

 

His dad hadn’t made it home yet and with no Doug to distract him, Commando had already finished most of his homework by the time someone knocked on his door.

“Who is it?”

“Doug.”

Commando yanked open the door. “I thought you were still sulking.” Though to be honest, Doug didn’t sulk. At least not like other people. When Doug was upset he plotted and when he plotted, bad things happened, even when, or especially when he didn’t mean them to. They were still banned from using the Metro.

Which was fine because it gave Commando a good argument to use on his dad when he wanted to get a car--it was either that or be driven everywhere in the Ambassador’s limo. Doug still didn’t get why neither Rivera was comfortable with that. He was pretty sure Doug wouldn’t do anything to deliberately sabotage his internship, but it was his Doug, who didn’t understand what a lot of regular people did.

“There was no sulking!” Doug rolled his eyes at Commando’s smirk. “Whatever. This is an emergency meeting of the Twinkie Squad.” He waved the piece of paper in Commando’s face again then shoved his way inside.

Sure enough, Gerald, Dave, Yolanda, Ric and Anita all shuffled in after him, plopping down in their usual spots. There was no official Special Discussion Group anymore but they still looked out for each other and they still had a Twinkie Squad meeting at least once a month. They usually watched a movie or played video games and consumed enough snacks to feed a third world country (according to his dad).

Commando opened the refrigerator and started grabbing everyone’s beverage of choice. “What’s up?”

“Pefkakia is what’s up!”

“Yeah, they want to kidnap Doug!”

Commando ignored Yolanda’s dramatic announcement. She’d given up living in other people’s movies but she kept trying to create her own. “Pefkakia doesn’t exist anymore. Saudi Arabia absorbed it. “

Doug shrugged and finally handed Commando the sheet of paper. “Well they unabsorbed it.”

Sure enough the letterhead proclaimed the document from the nation of Pefkakia. Commando thought for a moment Doug was up to his old tricks again until he scanned down. The, apparently, newly reformed country had issued an invitation for one if it’s ‘native sons’ to the inaugural ball. “What did your dad say?”

“Nothing.”

Commando had known Doug six years. He knew exactly what that ‘nothing’ meant. “You didn’t tell him!”

“He’s not even in town. Besides, I wanted to decide if I should go first.”

The choruses of ‘go’ and ‘don’t go’ overlapped each other, with Anita chiming in on both sides. She’d joined the debate club in ninth grade and now instead of parroting other people’s opinions, she usually flip flopped with her own. “Are we voting?”

Yolanda waved her drink in their direction. “I still think it’s a conspiracy to kidnap Doug and brainwash him so they can use him to assassinate the President or something.”

Commando resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall. “Doug is _not_ the Manchurian Candidate. And he can’t just go.” He turned back to Doug. “You need to discuss this with your dad and his advisers.” It always amazed Commando how little Doug knew about politics considering who his dad was. Not that Commando would trade his own father in for anything but if they had a second dad up for grabs, he’d pick Ambassador Fairchild, and Doug was right there at the hub of it all and couldn’t care less.

Doug frowned and snatched the letter back from him and Commando knew they were about to pick up their argument from this morning. He still wasn’t sure what it was actually about but continuing it in front of the rest of the guys was just asking for trouble. He glanced over at the sofa where Dave and Gerald were arguing over the remote, just as Ric fell off the arm he was sitting on and onto the laps of both guys, starting another argument. He glanced back at Doug and raised his brows meaningfully.

Doug rolled his eyes again and Commando swallowed the urge to tell him they were going to get stuck that way. Seventeen was way too young to sound like his abuelita. He grabbed the phone. “I’m ordering pizza.”

They finally settled on a movie to watch and by the time the pizza got there, the Twinkie Squad was engrossed in Liar, Liar.

 

The rest of the group left after the movie. Commando gave Doug a ‘you better stay or else’ look that actually worked to his surprise. He picked up the letter off the counter. “Do you even want to go?”

Doug folded his arms defensively. “What does it matter, you’re going to be in Washington anyway.”

Commando sighed in exasperation. “Doug we _live_ in Washington.”

“Yeah but it’s not the same. Like my dad isn’t the same as Ambassador Fairchild.” He gestured at Commando. “And you’re going to be the President or something someday.”

“I’m not going to be President." Commando couldn’t help the small thrill that rushed through him hearing that though. Not that he even wanted to be the President really. He still liked sticking up for the little guys and the President couldn’t exactly get away with punching guys in the nose--not even metaphorically. Still, President Rivera sounded kind of awesome.

Doug nodded. “Yes you are, and guess what? You’re probably going to break up with me and start dating Beverly Busby.” He stopped and they both shuddered in disgust.

“Why on earth, other than a severe head injury, would I do something like that?”

“Because there’s no First Boyfriend okay!”

Oh. Commando reached out and grabbed Doug’s hand, pulling until the other boy stood right in front of him. He tilted his head up, wishing once again for that promised growth spurt. “Garry Studds was the first openly gay member of Congress. In nineteen eighty-two.” He leaned up and placed a light kiss on Doug’s lips. “Congressman Frank had dinner over your house last month. He came out in nineteen eighty-seven. Cong...” His recital was stopped by a very eager kiss.

“Okay,okay.” Doug pulled back, grinning. “So maybe I should start paying a little bit more attention.”

“Yeah and maybe you should remember we’re in this together. Grand Knights forever.”

Doug’s fingers tightened on his. “Grand Knights forever.”


End file.
